Gusty, chilly blast lingers in Houston

By Dale Lezon

Updated 8:19 am, Friday, May 3, 2013

Chilly air is expected to linger for a few days in the Houston region.

A cold front raced through the area Thursday, dropping overnight lows to near record in the metropolitan area, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters said strong, gusty north winds are likely to batter the region for at least a day as the chilly Canadian air moves through the area.

"Enjoy it while you can because June's around the corner," said Josh Licther, a meteorologist with the weather service. "Summertime's almost here."

Lichter said a warm up is expected on the weekend and the mercury will probably climb into the 80s early next week. No rain is forecast for the next several days. On Friday, the high will struggle to about 66 degrees under partly sunny to sunny skies. Breezy north winds will be between 15 mph and 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. A wind advisory has been issued through 4 p.m. Lichter said the high winds will likely taper off near sunset. The overnight low will be near 45. The record low for the date is 44 degrees, which was set in 1978.

Normally temperatures range between about 65 and 84 this time of year.

The mercury will likely climb on the weekend. The highs Saturday and Sunday will be in the mid-70s. The lows will be in the lower 50s.